Novica Handmade Tradesman Catrin Ceramic Sculpture

In an homage to José Guadalupe Posada's "La Calavera Catrina", Mexico's Jorge Escamilla creates this unique sculpture. Wearing overalls and a hard hat and carrying a wrench and a lunchbox, the skeletal tradesman is crafted of clay and steel wire. The original "La Calavera Catrina" was a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait to lampoon Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

Product Features: 

• Dimension: 8.25" H x 3" W x 3" D
• Weight: 0.39600003
• Color: Grey
• Material: Ceramic, steel wire
• Made in Mexico

Story Behind the art:
"Hi, I'm Jorge Escamilla! When you are a craftsman, you are faced with various challenges that range from overflowing with creativity to create endless art in its different shapes and sizes, to not valuing your achievements. Because it happens that, in the absence of faith in what you do, you come to despise your work. That happened to me for a long time, because since I was young, deprivation was already part of my life. Poverty in my home and not being able to study caused me to belittle myself.

"Fortunately, with the passage of time and my work, I have been able to overcome that mistaken image of myself. I am proud to see how my work has grown, to look back and see the young man who entered an artisan workshop as an apprentice and ended up overcoming those obstacles.

"It is incredible everything you can do with a simple ball of clay. This material is difficult to handle due to its fragility. It is delicate and often difficult to achieve pieces that obtain characteristics that go beyond simple craftsmanship. It is essential that it has the correct consistency. But seeing your finished piece, which you idealized and manufactured from scratch, becomes such a satisfaction that it encourages you to continue producing more. Knowing that many people who know your work consider it art, and always based on Mexican folklore.

"I would like to grow my workshop to have enough financial means so that my family does not need anything and that my children achieve the dreams that I could not. I want to continue to produce ceramic pieces, and ultimately to provide some benefit to my community, like with jobs for those who want to work in this incredible craft."

The handmade touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.

Imported